[alfa] Radio Interference

["Tim Hancock" <timhancock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On steel bodied vehicles it is usually a failed capacitor, or the lack of one
that causes whine, crackle often happens if plug leads or plugs have been
substituted with replacements without built in screening. Glass fibre cars
like the Lotus Europa an TVR have an altogether different problem as the shell
itself offers no screening protection to the radio. A screen in the engine bay
of the Europa might help, but in the bad old days a fix on glass fibre cars
was to wrap the radio unit behind the dash in foil (making sure there was
nothing that could short out and turn your car into a smouldering heap). Today
I suppose you might try one of those anti static bags that electronic
components come wrapped in. Then you have to make sure your radio aerial cable
is also well screened and routed away from strong signal sources.

Most time i'd give up and just enjoy the engine noises instead, being far too
poor in those days to even enter the doors of a car radio centre. (These day
its all ICE...  In Car Entertainment for those who have not come across this
terminology)

Alfa content....Saw an absolutely perfect 33 permanent 4 (AWD) parked in town
the other day. These are really quite rare. It had 92000 miles on it and not a
spot of rust on the wheelarches or anywhere, which is remarkable for a 1991
car in the UK. Findings spares for this one are like finding hens teeth. A
newcomer late model 164 in maroon has also appeared in town in good condition.
That takes my count of 164s in Boston UK to around seven (of which I own 2).
On the debit side some very nice 164s are being broken up as you can make far
more on the bits than the car is worth on the market. In an attempt to be
dispassionate I really hope that a goodly number of 164 Cloverleafs are
preserved as I am sure that they will be regarded as a classic in years to
come. It doesn't look too good at the moment.

Tim Hancock   Boston UK

164TS
164Super
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